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The Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee have filed a lawsuit in federal court in Michigan over the Michigan GOP’s plan to use foreclosure lists to challenge voters at the polls, as first reported by the Michigan Messenger.
Bob Bauer, general counsel for the Obam ... Continue reading »
Bob Bauer, general counsel for the Obam ... Continue reading »
9 months ago
9 months ago
1. your name would not appear on a foreclosure list if you lost your house to a hurricane
2. the Michigan GOP can't do anything anywhere other than Michigan
9 months ago
9 months ago
Actually, we were fulfilling our mission. We're here to cover the uncovered news, report the underreported, fill the gaps the mainstream media leaves behind. We still believe in the role of the media as the Fourth Estate; we don't exist as a profit-driven entity for this reason.
9 months ago
MI Mssg retracts!!!!
Read it!
9 months ago
You vote these crooks into office , lose your house and then your vote to kick them out.
You get what you deserve.
9 months ago
Arrogance like this can only come from ignorance. If it was you being foreclosed upon and having your civil right to vote violated, that'd sure be humbling, wouldn't it? You wouldn't be so quick to look down your haughty nose then. What about what's right for you and everybody else? Two choices: Be glad it's not you and shut the hell up, or call them out. I suggest you choose the former. You obviously don't give a damn about the latter.
9 months ago
9 months ago
plan to vote republican now. I'm a democrat. I support Obama.If you are a
republican who has lost his job, house, pension, healthcare or ,god forbid,
a son or daughter and still support McCain because Sarah Palin is for
abortion, then yeah.you deserve it
.----- Original Message -----
9 months ago
Obama/Biden
9 months ago
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9 months ago
Next, he should sue that freak who wrote a book full of lies about him.
9 months ago
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9 months ago
There are other similar reports coming from Ohio that the GOP may do this there as well.
The Democratic National Committee has filed in Michigan because they have evidence of the illegal tactics in Michigan.
Texas would be irrelevant, primarily because there is no evidence in Texas, but also because those people were displaced by hurricane, not foreclosure.
9 months ago
"First, because getting a foreclosure notice is not evidence that the person’s address has changed. In Michigan, homeowners have the opportunity to redeem the foreclosure even after a sheriff’s sale has occurred, which means they can stay in the home for many months after a foreclosure notice has been sent. Second, because under Michigan law a person can vote at their old precinct if they lost their home within 60 days of the election."
Repeat: "getting a foreclosure notice is not evidence that a person's address has changed."
And no one has to own property to be able to vote. One must simply have an address in the precinct in which one is voting.
9 months ago
A foreclosure notice is the beginning of that process not the end, so receiving such a notice, or appearing on a list of people who have, doesn't mean you don't live there. And the attempt to use such a list in this manner is absurd. It puts the burden on the voter to prove they still live at a particular address, or risk loosing their right to vote. And as a practical matter, it creates chaos at the polling location, as voters are put through a modern-day version of a property test in order to cast their ballots.
The point of the curent law is to prevent people from voting who shouldn't be, because they live outside the voting precinct. A typical example is someone moving to a new precinct, re-registering to vote, and then showing up in both places on election day to vote twice. But the GOP is trying to apply that logic to people who are not trying to stuff ballot boxes at all. By insinuating that everyone on a list (especially a list not created or controlled by the local registrar of voters), opens up the process to gross manipulation.
9 months ago
I am so happy that the O/B campaign heads are taking action on the Repukes and their plans.
9 months ago
9 months ago
9 months ago
Wasn't the congress Democrat??????
Obama should also blame himself for all this faillures.
Nancy Pelosy MUST STOP down as well
9 months ago
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9 months ago
TRY WATCHING SOME OTHER NEWS CAST THAN FOX-FIXED NEWS! Fox is the only news? cast that does not acknowledge that what has been said here and in this article is the truth.
Get a grip!
9 months ago
9 months ago
So volunteer and keep an eye out for those who may not know about this kind of thing!
9 months ago
9 months ago
Stand firm. "The truth will set you free."
9 months ago
Sorry to be so rude, but the stupid and the ill-informed have gotten us into this mess by voting republican when anyone with 2 brain cells could see they were lying. I for one am sick of your self-righteous arrogant ignorance....and I will tell you to your face because YOU are destroying what is left of a once great nation.
9 months ago
9 months ago
Mrs_Baracaldo, however, needs to be more effective in her complaints and questions if she's trying to make a point (she's spam-trolled the site so we have a good idea what she's really getting at).
9 months ago
Students should be able to get an absentee ballot from their home city/state if this is not the first time they are voting. If a student is voting for the first time and wants to vote absentee, they will have to appear in person at their home town clerk's office and show ID in order to get an application for an absentee ballot. This is the law.
We've been working to register voters for Obama and most of the students we know, who live in state are going to go home on election day in order to vote.
9 months ago
9 months ago
Once again..garbage like this hoax ..lawsuits to squash the Caribou Barbie investigation in Alaska..fake absentee ballots sent out in WI and FL..the crooks and criminals at the GOP have no other way to win on the merits of their platform..it's full of termites..so they lie, Lie, and LIEEEEE some more! That's all they have been doing for months now..and it gets worse and wierder the longer it goes on! THE GOP LIES!! Any one who votes for these cheap thugs is a fool and an idiot. I have no patience with them and nothing but disgust for their stupidity!
9 months ago
9 months ago
9 months ago
MI MSSG RETRACTS-READ IT!
9 months ago
Please forward this article, and Digg this up to let people know about it.
It's important that people know that this is going on.
9 months ago
9 months ago
Remember, McCain-Palin: A Bridge to Nowhere!
9 months ago
Everyone who comments here should do what they can to get the word out!
When evil is in the limelight, God will handle the details! ;)
9 months ago
Its the same tactic the republican right in the South are eager to use against women who get an abortion. They will be branded criminals and their voting rights permanently revoked.
They realize there just aren't enough republicans any more, so they need to be much more active at insuring that others can not be permitted to vote. Their push toward making voter registration cards very hard to get is all part of a much more sinister national program.
9 months ago
9 months ago
If the people vote for this Party after this,they deserve what they get.Shame on you...trying to resort to such a tactic.
9 months ago
9 months ago
It's simple, you live at an address or you don't. If you do, then there is no reason why you shouldn't receive your notice and be allowed to vote in the correct precinct. If your notice is returned, it means you need to reregister in the correct precinct and you can vote.
You do want this to be a fair election either way it's decided right?
9 months ago
9 months ago
I wasn't aware that only lower income families were facing foreclosure. Your argument is thin. If these people were allowed to vote and it didn't go your way I believe it highly likely that you might be asking for thier votes not to count.
9 months ago
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Residence is a somewhat arbitrary concept when it comes to voting. As long as they don't vote twice, like in two different states, then whats the real harm?
9 months ago
9 months ago
"Second, because under Michigan law a person can vote at their old precinct if they lost their home within 60 days of the election."
There is a very legitimate reason that Michigan has that law. They want to do what they can to make sure someone has a right to vote, and they are aware that times can be tough.
If a piece of mail gets returned to a campaign hub, this does not necessarily mean that the person at the address does not have a right to vote because they don't reside there anymore.
If the final vote does not come out in the favor if a particular political party, (especially if it's a close election in Michigan) then the losing party will use this as "evidence" that some type of "fraud" has been committed and play it out in the court of public opinion, where the the facts will be distorted and spun, where informed rational discourse rarely occurs.
I'm sure that the Michigan law won't get mentioned much.
It can be assumed from this article that the GOP is anticipating that the count in Michigan will be close.
And as a side note, there are privacy issues to be concerned as well. A political party is not a government entity, it's a private organization. Keep that in mind.
9 months ago
9 months ago
Some principals transcend party affiliation, the right to vote should be a very sensitive issue for everyone. It's very wise to have the mindset that it's always going to be under attack, and not dismiss anything.
9 months ago
But this does make the trargetted foreclosure scheme look even more like it was orchestrated with this in mind.
9 months ago
Did I miss anything?
9 months ago
and the BIG picture...any non-biased person would agree that this unfairly targets the lower/middle class and I would even be willing to bet a week's paycheck that the letters also target a certain demographic within certain districts.
also...the assertion here is to protect against voter fraud. so does this tactic help ( (i.e. prevent double voting) or does it hender (i.e. blacklist legitimate voters).
9 months ago
In reality, I'm not sure I want to trust the decision on leadership of this country to someone who didn't understand that an adjustable rate mortgage was a bad idea. I'm not excusing the banks but each of these people has to take a certain amount of responsibility for their actions.
You are right this probably does target one demographic over another. The Michigan law states that they are allowed to vote in the existing precinct for 60 days after they leave. Doesn't that make this a non issue? If they were still in their home on the fourth of September, then they can vote where they were.
Please don't assume I am full of hate and judgment.
9 months ago
are we to just hand this country over to the rich white man? anyone actually BEEN to this neighborhood? this is robbing human beings of the homes they live in WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND YES THAT INCLUDES CHILDREN and then it strips them of their ability to change a system that has failed them.
and as far as "letting them fry"? what do you mean? in HELL? yeah, that sounds great, but what will that do for our contry in the mean time?
and justjohn, i respect that you're trying to view this from both sides. you're giving it a good shot so kudos to you. i myself have been a conservative republican since 1984, but 5 years ago i decided to let go of the bias and REALLY view it from all angles.... i became a better person.
and lets face it kids, if Barack Obama was a white man?... he'd be 20 points ahead in the polls.
and THAT'S what's WRONG with this country.
9 months ago
9 months ago
Facts of the story are very cut and dry. In michigan you can lose your home and still vote from your OLD precinct for 60 days. In michigan you can reside at your home even after foreclosure. Republicans mailed letters out in an attempt to challenge voters who were foreclosed on. There are very few reasons to do this as there are other measures in place to stop voter fraud.
Your first argument was that this is a valid noble tactic to stop voter fraud.There are very few reasons to do this as there are other measures in place to stop voter fraud. But lets believe for a minute that the gop is really doing this to stop voter fraud. why target voters who were foreclosed on? and is it not suspicious to you in the slightest that these people are also likely democrats (not to mention poor). No matter what party you are this is something you should be angry about.
your next trick is implying that Democrats would stoop as low as republicans to win an election. True or not does this really justify the tactic? What difference does this make. If I stab someone to death does it make me less wrong than the guy that shot someone to death?
Then you dismissively say you shouldnt vote in a precinct you dont live in. which has been pointed out several times is perfectly legal for 60 days
Well then you imply that this wouldn't even affect democrats more than republicans by saying we're acting like only low income democrats get foreclosed on (completely irrelevant.. not to mention the fact you directly contradicted yourself in saying "Do you think Obama is suing for your rights? He wouldn't care at all (and neither would the GOP for that matter) if those votes weren't statistically in his favor.")
well when thats shot down you go back to "Wouldn't it be voter fraud if a person voted in a pricinct that he/she did not live in" which for the last time.. IS NOT TRUE FOR 60 DAYS IT IS ONLY FRAUD IF THEY VOTE IN TWO PRECINCTS.
I have no doubt if this were a story about democrats disenfranchising republicans you would be parading around here shouting that obama is just more of the same.
It boggles me. Youre arguing nothing. Youre arguing it with nothing. You imply but never name your points. after all its much more convenient to imply something and have people make their own conclusions, conclusions that most americans dont bother to fact check because the implication is so sly its almost like youre outright SAYING something. Dont say obama is a muslim, but imply it every chance you get, dont say that obama is a terrorist but imply terrorists are often muslims and let people make the logical fallacy that the reverse is true. imply imply imply. Obscure facts. Point to the other guy. but whatever you do NEVER, NEVER EVER look at the issue, and address the facts of the issue. Its the republican way.
9 months ago
I have no doubt that either party would stoop as low as they could to win the election. In the end we vote someone in to office but we are the only ones who loose.
I understand your point about inplied facts. I see them spread on every news station everyday. I wish we could get beyond all of the silly he said-she said / he did-she did manuvering and get to the point of this election. Which one of these jokers is actually going to do something positive for this country?
The media and the parties want the public mired in the crap so that we don't have time to really look at the facts. The facts are that both of these guys have some good things they want to do but they also have some (my opinion) very bad ideas for this country. I may be a conservative but I can't say that McCain has really done anything to earn my vote.
9 months ago
MI MSSG RETRACTS-READ IT!!
I BET YOU WILL NOT APOLOGIZE BUT WILL WIGGLE ALONG WITH "THE ONE"!
SOCIALISM IS COMING. WRIGHT/PFLAGER/REZKO/AYERS/DORNE SLEEPING IN THE WHITE HOUSE??
9 months ago
http://michiganmessenger.com/4313/messenger-rej...
You read it: "Messenger rejects GOP plea for retraction."
Neither Michigan Messenger nor its parent organization, the Center for Independent Media, have received a formal request for retraction from the MIGOP, RNC, or James Carabelli as of today.
If you are unable to type in mixed case, please use lower case instead of upper case as upper case denotes shouting. If you are indeed shouting, this is not in compliance with our site's comment policy; future shouting risks being deleted without notice.
9 months ago
It seems that most of my post got lost in the ether. I try again.
HANK4
Rayne1
> You read it: "Messenger rejects GOP plea for retraction."
>
> Neither Michigan Messenger nor its parent organization, the Center for Independent Media, have received a formal request for retraction from the MIGOP, RNC, or James Carabelli as of today.
>
>
>
I note that your link is dated 9/12/08 and only refers to one of two issues in my link. My link and the below article from your site, I believe, addresses the first issue which was retracted by Michigan Messenger's parent and are dated a week later.
Further, your article providing the credentials of your reporter and her long history of unbiased professionalism seems overtaken by the articles she has written as seen on your home page and the fact that she got at least half of the foreclosure caging apparently wrong.
Messenger clarifies Ohio official’s remark
By Jefferson Morley 9/19/08 5:48 PM
Michigan Messenger received a letter yesterday from Douglas J. Preisse, chairman of the Franklin County Republican Party in Columbus Ohio, disputing Eartha Melzer’s summary of remarks he made to a local newspaper about voter challenges.
Citing an article in the Columbus Dispatch, Melzer had reported in her story “Lose your house, lose your vote” that Priesse [...]
Why could I not get this whole article on your web site?
Don't you think that you should update your bloggers on your parent companies position?
> If you are unable to type in mixed case, please use lower case instead of upper case as upper case denotes shouting. If you are indeed shouting, this is not in compliance with our site's comment policy; future shouting risks being deleted without notice.
I apologize for the caps as I thought it was acceptable as seen in other posts to this thread.
I assume that you corrected those posters as well.
HANK4
9 months ago
Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.7.1/1686 - Release Date: 9/23/2008 7:38 AM
9 months ago
To Join the cause, your letters can be sent to:
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
PHONE: (517) 373-3400
PHONE: (517) 335-7858 - Constituent Services
and
SE Michigan Office
3022 W. Grand Blvd.
Cadillac Place, Suite 14-150
Detroit, MI 48202
(313) 456-0010
Michigan Secretary of State, Republican Terri Lynn
Info@terrilynnland.com
Example letter:
Dr. Ms Granholm/ Land,
I am a registered Michigan voter and am opposed to the caging practices proposed against Michigan voters that have lost homes due to foreclosure. You must stop this unacceptable practice now.
Thank you,
(Your name and address)
9 months ago
First, the Repukes promote a Wild West housing market, giving everyone a loan who made minimum wage.
Second, now that these Repuke policies have killed a 150 year old respectable Jewish monument, they not only wanna kick those people out of their own homes, but wanna take away their voting rights TOO?
Un EFFING believable!!!
9 months ago
9 months ago
9 months ago
Sarcasam asice, I was so sure that this would be the Democrats' year - but the closeness of the polls challenge this! Why are people so quick to accept this blatent attack on democracy?